Snap-on strike box



March 1965 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,241,873

SNAP-ON STRIKE BOX Filed Dec. 1'7, 1963 INVENTORS F1250 J1, USSELL 0&5/2J; NOL/H AT'TO Q NEAIS United States Patent 3,241,873 SNAP-0N STRIKE BOXFred J. Russell, 8635 Otis St, South Gate, Calif., and

Roger J. Nolin, Monterey Park, Calif.; said Nolin assignor to saidRussell Filed Dec. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 331,322 3 Claims. (U. 293-340) Theinvention has to do with door lock accessories and in particular aspecial type of strike box which is installed in the frame of the doorfor engagement with a latch bolt in order to engage the latch bolt andhold the door in closed position.

- One of the most common means of holding a latch bolt in position tokeep a door closed is a strike plate with a hole in it, with a curvedlip on one side. This expedient has been employed for a countless numberof years and is widely used. When it is used, a hole is chiseled in theframe deep enough to receive the latch bolt, but the strike plate is theelement with which the latch both actually engages.

In those instances where a somewhat more substantial installation isdesired, the strike plate is provided with a strike box which fits intothe chiseled-out hole in the frame, and the strike box by its size anddepth fixes the size and depth of the hole into which the latch boltextends. An accepted structure for a strike box of this kind in the pasthas been one wherein the strike box is constructed in the first instanceof a single piece of material. In some instances, the structure may be acasting. In other instances, it may be a stamping. Limitations areinherent in a single piece strike box, whether it consists of 'a castingor a stamping as made reference to, or where it may be of some otherconventional type of construction. Some are too expensive for widespreaduse. Others are such as will not permit the device to be adapted to avariety of different conditions with an equal degree of effectiveness.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved strike box of such character 'that it can be snapped into placeupon a strike plate so that the two parts when assembled have the sameconvenience as a single piece.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved strikebox which has a snap action connection between itself and a strike plateso that, even though the parts are separately constructed and differfrom each other in character, they act as a single unit when assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved snap-onstrike box combination wherein a resilient snap-on attachment isprovided between the strike box and a strike plate which is releasableif desired by the use of simple conventional tools, the attachmentconsisting of especially forming the walls of the strike box so as tocooperate with complementary portions on the strike plate.

Also included among the objects of the invention is to provide a snap-onstrike box combination wherein the box-like portion which is normallyconcealed when mounted can be made of relatively unfinished material,but nevertheless, one which has a firm and secure connection to thestrike plate which in turn may be made of attractive polished material,the box and plate combination being one which makes use of an effectivesnap-on connection.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

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FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of the snap-on strike boxcombination in the position it would have when attached upon a doorframe.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the snap-onstrike box combination.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the snapon strike boxcombination in the position it would have in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the snap-on strike boxcombination partially broken away to show the snap acting means.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the snap-on strikebox combination taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

In an embodiment of the invention which is described in detail toillustrate the principle upon which the invention is constructed, thereis shown what will be made reference to in general as a strike device 10shown in assembled condition in perspective and attached to a door frameindicated generally by the reference character 11. For purposes ofdisclosure, the strike device 10 may be considered as constituting -twomembers, namely a box member indicated generally by the referencecharacter 12 and a strike member indicated generally by the referencecharacter 13, the latter being, in the present instance, a compositemember.

In the present embodiment, the box member 12 is constructed of a bottom14, end walls 15 and 16, rear side wall 17 and a front side wall 18.Good practice suggests that the box member 12 be constructed of sheetmaterial having a degree of resilience and stamped or cut so that theend walls 15 and 16 and the rear and front side walls 17 and 18 be madefrom a single sheet of material and bent into the form shown in FIGURE2, without express need for soldering the corners or otherwise fasteningthe side and end walls together in assembled position as shown in FIGURE2. It will be noted further that, from an examination of FIGURES 4 and5, the front side wall 18 has a somewhat oblique angle outwardly, andthat the rear side wall 17 is substantially perpendicular to the bottom14. The end walls 15 and 16, the rear and front side walls 17 and 18together with the bottom 14 form a chamber 19 open at one side.

The box member 12, as already suggested, is a composite memberconsisting of a fastening plate portion 21 and a latch bolt retainingportion 22. These last identified portions are shown separately inFIGURE 2. The fastening plate portion 21 consists primarily of a plate23 having a polished or plated outside surface, and within which is anopening 24. In the plate 23 are screw holes 25 and 26 at respectivelyopposite ends through which ordinary wood screws (not shown) may beinserted in order to attach the strike device 10 to the door frame 11.In addition, the fastening plate portion 21 may be provided with aninwardly turned edge 27 which extends part way only into the chamber 19,forming one side of the opening 24.

The latch bolt retaining portion 22 is a somewhat composite stampedsection consisting of plate elements 30 and 31 from which depend,respectively, flanges 32 and 33. These flanges are in right angularrelationship and are adapted to extend into the box member 12. A thirdflange 34 extends somewhat obliquely into the box member 12 at alocation intermediate the flanges 32 and 33. Extending outwardly fromthe flange 34 and from the plate elements 30 and 31 is a strike lip 35of sub stantially conventional form and configuration. There is a slightoffset bend at locations 36 and 37 to permit the fastening plate portion21 to set down upon the plate elements 30 and 31 in a position so thatthe outermost face of the fastening plate portion 21 will besubstantially flush with an adjacent face of the strike lip 35.

The plate elements and 31 are provided respectively with elongated screwholes 38 and 39 to fasten the latch bolt retaining portion 22 to thefastening plate portion 21. Machine screws 40 and 41 extend throughappropriate holes, not specifically labeled, in the plate 23 and thencerespectively through the screw holes 38 and 39 of the plate elements 30and 31 beneath which nuts 42 and 43 attach to the machine screws 40 and41 to hold the fastening plate portion 21 in fixed relationship with thelatch bolt retaining portion 22 so that they, to all intents andpurposes, act as a single member, namely, the strike member 13.

On the flanges 32 and 33 respectively are projections 44 and 45. Asimilar projection 46 is formed on the flange 34. These can be bent-outportions of the respective flanges.

Opposite the projection 44 is an opening 47 in the end wall 15complementary with respect to the projection 44 and which provides ashoulder 48 against which the projection 44 is adapted to engage inassembled position. Similarly, an opening 49 is provided in the end wall16 opposite the projection and which provides a shoulder 50 againstwhich the projection 45 is adapted to engage. In the same manner thereis provided an opening 51 on the front side wall 18 which provides ashoulder 52 against which the projection 46 is adapted to engage whenthe projection 46 extends into the opening 51.

In assembling the device, namely, in fastening the box member 12 to thestrike member 13, it is necessary only to insert the flanges 32, 33, and34 into the open end of the box member 12 and press the members togetheruntil the projections 44, 45, and 46 snap into the respective openings47, 49, and 51. This is possible because of the somewhat resilientnature of the end walls 15 and 16 and front side wall 18, since theywill flex slightly as they extend over the projections, and then snapback when the projections coincide with the openings, thereby to securethe members together. It will, of course, by understood that, eventhough the openings are described as being located in the box member 12and the projections upon the strike member 13, a reverse dispositionwould also be possible, namely providing the box member with projectionsand the strike member with appropriate matching openings.

To disassemble the members one from another when occasion may require,it is necessary only to pry the end walls 15 and 16 and front side wall18 slightly with an appropriate tool, as suggested in FIGURE 5, untilthe openings are free of the projection and whereupon the box member 12will fall free of the strike member 13, and the walls of the former willflex back into initial position.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. A strike device for a latch bolt of the type adapted to be mounted ona door frame in a hole of selected size, said device comprising a boxmember adapted to be set into the hole and a strike member adapted to beattached to the frame in overlying relationship, said strike membercomprising a fastening plate portion adapted to attach to the frame, alatch bolt retaining portion and inwardly extending flanges havingwidths less than the depth of said hole, said strike member having anopening for receiving a latch bolt and a strike lip adjacent one side ofthe opening, said box member having walls and an open top, said wallshaving attachment means and said flanges having attachment means, one ofsaid attachment means being in the form of shoulders and the other ofsaid attachment means being in the form of snap projections respectivelycomplementary with said shoulders and in engagement with the shoulders,whereby said box member is moved over the flanges and automaticallyattached to said strike member.

2. .A strike device for a latch bolt of the type adapted to be mountedon a door frame in a hole of selected length and breadth, said devicehaving a length and breadth less than the length and breadth of saidhole and comprising a box member adapted to be set into the hole and astrike member adapted to be attached to the frame in overlyingrelationship, said strike member comprising a fastening plate portionadapted to attach to the frame, a latch bolt retaining portion andinwardly extending flanges, said strike member having an opening forreceiving a latch bolt and a strike lip adjacent one side of theopening, said box member having side and end walls and an open top, saidside and end walls having attachment means and said flanges havingattachment means, one of said attachment means being in the form ofshoulders and the other of said attachment means being in the form ofprojections respectively complementary with said shoulders and inengagement with the shoulders, whereby said box member is attached tosaid strike member, one of said attachment means having a resilient biastoward the other of said attachment means whereby to automaticallyengage one of said attachment means with the other when said attachmentmeans are brought into engagement with one another.

3. A strike device for a latch bolt of the type adapted to be mounted ona door frame in a hole of selected length and breadth, said devicecomprising a box member adapted to be set into the frame and a strikemember adapted to be attached to the frame in overlying relationship,said strike member comprising a fastening plate portion adapted toattach to the frame, a latch bolt retaining portion and inwardlyextending flanges, said strike member having an opening for receiving alatch bolt and a strike lip adjacent one side of the opening, said boxmember having end walls, side walls, a bottom and an open top and havinga length and breadth less than the length and breadth of said hole, atleast three of said walls having openings therein forming attachmentmeans in the form of shoulders, said flanges having attachment means inthe form of projections respectively complementary with said openingsand receivable therein in engagement with the shoulders, whereby saidbox member is attached to said strike member, one of said attachmentmeans having a resilient bias toward the other of said attachment meanswhereby to automatically engage one of said attachment means with theother when said attachment means are brought into engagement with oneanother.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,024 5/1936Schlage 292-341.18 2,568,983 9/1951 Best 292-340 JOSEPH D. SEERS,Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

S. LEITNER, R. E. MOORE, Assistant Examiners.

1. A STRIKE DEVICE FOR A LATCH BOLT OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ONA DOOR FRAME IN A HOLE OF SELECTED SIZE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A BOXMEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SET INTO THE HOLE AND A STRIKE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BEATTACHED TO THE FRAME IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP, SAID STRIKE MEMBERCOMPRISING A FASTENING PLATE PORTION ADAPTED TO ATTACH TO THE FRAME, ALATCH BOLT RETAINING PORTION AND INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES HAVINGWIDTHS LESS THAN THE DEPTH OF SAID HOLE, SAID STRIKE MEMBER HAVING ANOPENING FOR RECEIVING A LATCH BOLT AND A STRIKE LIP ADJACENT ONE SIDE OFTHE OPENING, SAID BOX MEMBER HAVING WALLS AND AN OPEN TOP, SAID WALLSHAVING ATTACHMENT MEANS AND SAID FLANGES HAVING ATTACHMENT MEANS, ONE OFSAID ATTACHMENT MEANS BEING IN THE FORM OF SHOULDERS AND THE OTHER OFSAID ATTACHMENT MEANS BEING IN THE FORM OF SNAP PROJECTIONS RESPECTIVELYCOMPLEMENTARY WITH SAID SHOULDERS AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDERS,WHEREBY SAID BOX MEMBER IS MOVED OVER THE FLANGES AND AUTOMATICALLYATTACHED TO SAID STRIKE MEMBER.